The Hackney pony is a breed
of pony closely related to the Hackney horse. Originally bred to pull carriages, they are used
today primarily as show ponies. The breed does not have its own stud book, but
shares one with the Hackney Horse in all countries that
have an official Hackney Stud Book Registry.

Contents

History

The Hackney Pony was originally developed by Christopher Wilson.
He used Sir George, a Hackneystallion foaled in 1866, to
breed with Fell Pony mares, and then interbred the
offspring to make a fixed type of pony. He desired to create not a
miniaturized horse, but rather a true pony with such
characteristics. Extracting the large trot and other
characteristics of the hackney horse and applying them to this true
type of pony, he was successful in creating the form which was
desired. This is one case of an entire type of breed that is formed
in a controlled, private environment. In addition to the mixing of
Fell ponies and Hackney horses, the Hackney Pony probably also has
much Welsh Pony
blood.

First known as Wilson Ponies, they were usually kept out all
year, wintering in the inhospitable Fells with little food or care.
This developed the breed's great toughness and endurance. By the
1880s the breed was established, and was very much liked for its
great trotting ability and class.

The breed was used in Great Britain as carriage horses and were
also imported into the United States. They were considered to be
very stylish to drive during the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, when automobiles were still uncommon. After
horses were replaced by cars as a primary means of transportation,
Hackney ponies, along with many other horse breeds, were deemed
unable to contribute to society and declined considerably. After
World War II, however, the Hackney pony developed into primarily a
show pony, and remain being bred for that purpose today. Thus their
drastic decline in numbers and plight toward extinction came to an
end, and the breed was popularized once again.

Many Hackney pony breeders today continue to develop a quality,
refined pony. In the United States, Hackney ponies have also had
considerable influence on the American version of the Shetland pony. They
were crossbred with Shetlands to produce the
American Shetland show pony of today, a type which displays many of
the refined characteristics of the Hackney pony. The Hackney has
also influenced the miniature horse, adding refinement and
action.

Characteristics

A Hackney harness pony

General
appearance

The Hackney pony may not be above 14.2 hands (hh) and usually
range between 12 and 14 hh. It should have true pony characteristics, and should not be a
scaled down version of the Hackney Horse. The pony should have a
small pony head, carried high, with alert and pricked ears and
large, intelligent eyes. The neck should be muscular, arched, and
carried proudly. They should have powerful shoulders, a compact
back, and a light frame. The legs are strong with good joints, but
the bone is usually fine. The feet are very hard, and are usually
allowed to grow long in the toe to accentuate the action of the
pony. The tail is often set and is carried high. They usually have
even more exaggerated action than the Hackney horse, knees rising
as high as possible and hocks coming right under the body. The
action should be fluid, spectacular, and energetic.

Colors

Hackney ponies may be black, bay (which includes brown), or chestnut. Bay
is by far the most common color, but black is also relatively
common. Chestnuts, on the other hand, are extremely rare; their
color is usually particularly light, and chestnut ponies often
possess flaxen manes and tails. Many hackneys also have some white
markings. Due
to the sabino
gene, common in the breed, the Hackney Pony may have white markings
on its body as well as on its legs and head. The sabino gene (possibly a gene
complex), is generally unpredictable, so breeding solely for
body white marks can be difficult.

Temperament

The Hackney Pony also has a reputation for being tenacious and
fearless, qualities that are seen in top-tier show ponies. They are
very brave, alert, and active, and possess great stamina.
Generally, they have pony character. Hackneys have a reputation for
being friendly toward humans, and are suitable for both show and as
companion animals.

Show
Types

An example of a road pony showing under saddle.

The hackney pony is a very common and distinctive contender in
horse shows, seen primarily with saddlebreds and standardbred road
horses. In the show ring, the hackney pony is most commonly seen
being driven
in harness. They
are also shown under saddle,
usually as road ponies, and in hand as weanlings or yearlings. Their world's championship
is the Kentucky
Kentucky State Fair Horse Show in Louisville, Kentucky, and
their national championship is the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri.
There are four primary divisions in which they are shown.

Road
ponies

Road ponies, like roadsters, are shown to a two-wheel
bike, or sulky. The driver
always wears racing silks, usually with their barn
represented by the colors of the silks. Road ponies are judged upon
their action when trotting, as well as their speed, conformation, and temperament. Road
pony classes are divided into open, amateur, ladies, junior
exhibitor, and junior divisions, and are further divided into
groups of different heights, either over fifty inches measured to
the withers or fifty inches and under. They are shown at the trot at
three speeds: the slower jog, the ground-covering road gait, and
"at speed," which is an even faster version of the road gait. They
are shown with full manes and tails.

In addition to being shown with a bike, road ponies are shown
under saddle by junior exhibitors or hooked to a four-wheel wagon. Wagon classes are relatively
new but growing in popularity; the World's Championship Horse Show
offered a wagon class for the first time in 2006.

Hackney (cobtail)
ponies

A hackney cobtail pony.

The Cobtail pony division is often called the "hackney pony"
division, particularly by the USEF, although this can be confusing since the
common name of the division is the same as the breed itself, and
there is obviously more than one division for the breed. Cobtail
ponies are shown with a braided mane and a docked tail. They are
generally tall, for any height of pony is permitted to show in the
division as long as it is still a pony, not exceeding 14.2
hands.

Harness
ponies

Harness ponies
are perhaps the most elegant and beautiful of the hackney ponies.
Whereas speed is a major factor among road ponies, harness ponies
should be more collected, exhibiting a very animated and airy trot.
Like cobtail ponies, they are shown at a park trot. A hackney must
be smaller than the similar cobtails to show in the harness pony
division, because it is required that the pony be 12.2 hands or
under for that division. They are shown to a four-wheel viceroy and
possess a full mane and tail. The typical apparel for driving
harness ponies is a suit for men, and a dress or other formal wear
for women. The classes offered are divided by the same factors as
road ponies, except the ponies are further divided by gender,
stallion and gelding or mare, instead of height.

Pleasure
ponies

There is also a pleasure driving division for the
breed, which is for a variety of different types. There is no
height requirements except that the hackney be a pony, and the pony
can have a long or docked tail. Pleasure ponies are shown to a
two-wheeled cart, and the driver usually wears more casual dress.
The division has classes for adult amateurs (trainers are not
allowed to show in pleasure classes) and junior exhibitors. They
are shown at a road gait, pleasure trot, and flat walk. Temperament
is a more primary factor for judges; the pleasure pony should
indeed be a pleasure to drive. Other than that, they are judged on
basically the same parameters as the other three types.

Other
types

Some hackneys are shown in one or two pairs in harness, though
classes which are designated for this are fairly rare.